The truck drivers began striking on Tuesday and complained that their expenses have increased since last year. According to the Voice of America’s Iran news service, the increase in expenses include the costs for tires, air filters, insurance, road tolls, commissions, repairs and spare parts.
The strikes reportedly took place in 93 cities in 25 provinces, including the provinces of West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Isfahan, Ilam, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Khuzestan, Zanjan, Sistan and Balouchestan, Semnan, Fars, Qazvin, Kerman, Gilan, Mazandaran, Markazi, Hormozgan, Hamedan, Yazd and Bushehr.
The strikes have reportedly caused fuel shortage in some parts of Iran because the trucks are instrumental in delivering gas to fueling stations.
According to the VOA, “It was not clear how long the strike would continue. There was no immediate response to the truckers’ demands from Iranian authorities on state media.”
Nationwide protest took place on December 28 over rising costs, financial mismanagement, and the Iranian regime’s decision to use billions of dollars to finance terrorism and involvement in foreign countries like Syria and Libya, instead of taking care of its ailing people at home.
The December protests, which have carried on in varying stages, were the largest since the so-called “Green Revolution” of 2009 over the fraudulent re-election of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who won in a “landslide.”